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House GOP looking to kill EPA's 'environmental justice' program

Pompeo said the EPA only wants to recruit and hire college students who are "ideologically in line with the Obama administration's radical environmental policies."

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"The 'Environmental Justice Eco-Ambassador Program' is a prime example of the wasteful and inappropriate spending that continues to infest all corners of the Obama administration," he added. "I intend to put an end to this abuse of taxpayer money, and I look forward to obtaining broad support, not only from other members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, but from many more of my colleagues in the House and Senate."

His bill, H.R. 2876, would terminate the program and prohibit the EPA from establishing any paid internships or student recruitment programs that "discriminate based on ideology or policy viewpoint." The bill has four other Republican co-sponsors.

Pompeo noted that EPA announced its new eco-ambassador program on the same day that the House terminated its page program, citing budget issues.

EPA said its new program is aimed at offering "student internship opportunities focusing on environmental justice," and said it supports EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's priorities to "expand the conversation on environmentalism and work for environmental justice."

The program is meant for graduate students, and among a handful of eligibility requirements is that applicants must "have previously been involved and/or have a strong interest in environmental justice, social justice issues and/or environmental health disparities in an academic, volunteer and/or employment setting." Applications for the program were due Aug. 19.